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Soon the holidays will be over and we’ll be settling into another long, cold Idaho winter. We tend to stay inside more during the colder, shorter days, anyway, so maybe this is a good time to consider bunion surgery to eliminate the pain and deformity by your big toe.

We usually don’t recommend correcting bunions if you can alleviate the pain with conservative treatments like icing, padding, better shoe choices, and so on. However, if the bump by your big toe is getting increasingly painful despite these measures, or the toe has drifted so far inward that it rubs against or overlaps the second toe, causing calluses or irritation, now may be the time to think about surgery to fix your bunion.

There are many possible ways to go about this:

Exostectomy – removes the part of the bone that protrudes; does not correct the basic cause of the deformity; only used if the toe has not drifted

Osteotomy – Cuts and realigns the joint; often combined with tendon or ligament repair to help hold the bones in the proper position

Arthrodesis – removes parts of the joint surface that are damaged; uses screws, plates, wired to hold bones in place as they heal

Resection arthroplasty – often used in arthritic patients; removed damaged part of joint, allowing scar tissue to form a flexible joint.

Once we examine your bunion and the extent of your deformity, we will discuss with you the type of surgery we believe will bring the best result. We’ll also explain what you will need to do before the operation, the anesthesia likely to be used, and what you can expect during recovery.

Be sure to examine your reasons for undergoing surgery. If you are hoping for beautiful feet that can fit into pointed high heels again, you’ll be in for a big disappointment. Our goal in surgery is to relieve your pain and help you be able to walk normally again. Once you know all the facts about the procedure, you can decide if it is the next, right step for you.

Call Advanced Foot and Ankle today to discuss your options for your misaligned big toe today. Dial (208)-731-6321 for our office in Twin Falls, ID, or (208)-312-4646 to reach us in Burley, or request an appointment on our website.